Draftfcb San Francisco went the live-action route to show the immersive nature of the new free-to-play (up to a point) massive-multiplayer online game Star Wars: The Old Republic.
The whole thing looks more like a movie trailer than one for a video game. Groups of people gradually take to the streets, wielding familiar Jedi/Sith weapons, using mind control and otherwise looking fierce/menacing while drums pound in the background. A voiceover declares, “We are no longer friends, or neighbors: today, we choose a side and join the battle,” as a melee breaks out.
The live-action nature of the spot (which even foregoes including actual gameplay footage) underscores the immersive nature of Star Wars: The Old Republic, which puts players “at the center of [their] own story-driven Star Wars saga,” which takes place over 3,000 years before the original films. Players can choose to play not just as Jedi or Sith, but also as a Bounty Hunter, or from other iconic roles. Players can enjoy the story-driven game up to level 50 for free (with restrictions), or choose to become a subscriber for unlimited game access. So, to be fair, this isn’t exactly a “free game” as there are serious restrictions to the free-to-play mode and it’s used more as a way to ease gamers into paying for a subscription if they want to finish the game and enjoy all its features.
Nerds everywhere are seemingly eating this spot up right now, and those faithful to the franchise are undoubtedly going to play this game, but some of the non-Star Wars-obsessed gaming crowd might be left wondering if the gameplay-averse spot is hiding flaws with the game itself. Feel free to check out more and “join the battle” here.
Credits:
Client: Electronic Arts
Agency: Draftfcb San Francisco
Group Creative Director: Colin McRae
Group Creative Director: Tony Vazquez
Associate Creative Director: Jake Slody
Associate Creative Director: Derrick Ho
Senior Art Director: Justin Hargraves
Copy Writer: Josh Boggden
Group Managing Director: Heidi Arkinstall
Management Supervisor: Erin Morgan
Production Company: MJZ Productions
Director: Nicolai Fuglsig
Visual Effects Supervisor: The Mill
Executive Producer: Emma Wilcockson
Music: Human
Final Mix: Lime
Engineer: Rohan Young